{
  "name": "Franchise termination notice and good-cause requirements by US state \u2014 quoted from the state franchise relationship statute",
  "description": "A franchise agreement usually lets the franchisor end the relationship, but about a third of states layer a statute on top of the contract \u2014 a Franchise Relationship Act, Franchise Investment Law or, in Wisconsin, the Fair Dealership Law \u2014 that requires 'good cause' before termination or non-renewal and a minimum written-notice period with a chance to cure. Wisconsin is the one to read carefully: its chapter never uses the word 'franchise' at all, and instead governs a 'dealership', defined functionally as a right to sell goods or services or use a trade name with a community of interest \u2014 so each record also records, in the statute's own words, which relationship it governs, rather than leaving the reader to assume. The notice period is not comparable on its face: Minnesota and Wisconsin require at least 90 days' notice with 60 days to cure; California and New Jersey require 60 days' notice (New Jersey allows only 15 days where the franchisee abandoned the business); Illinois and Michigan require notice and a cure opportunity that need not exceed 30 days, with no separate minimum notice period stated. A widely-cited 50-state law-firm survey of this exact question (Kilpatrick Townsend, republished via Lexis) exists as a static PDF, but its citations for at least two states point to legislative history that never passed into law \u2014 this asset is quoted directly from each state's own published statute text instead (the official legislature or code-revisor site for five of the six states), and skips the roughly two-thirds of states with no such statute (ordinary contract law and case-law 'good faith' doctrine govern those, with no fixed number to publish). Each record is one state, with the required notice period, the cure period if the statute states one, whether 'good cause' is required at all, and the statute citation, each backed by a verbatim quote from the state's own code. Answers 'how many days notice before a franchisor can terminate my franchise in [state]' and 'does [state] require good cause to end a franchise'.",
  "url": "https://referencesource.org/franchise-termination-notice-and-good-cause-requirements-by-state/",
  "licence": "unknown",
  "last_verified": "2026-09-02",
  "stale_after": "2027-09-02",
  "sources": [
    "https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC&sectionNum=20020.",
    "https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/fulltext.asp?DocName=081507050K19",
    "https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-445-1527",
    "https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/80C.14",
    "https://law.justia.com/codes/new-jersey/2021/title-56/section-56-10-5/",
    "https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/135/04",
    "https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/135/02"
  ],
  "records": [
    {
      "jurisdiction": "California",
      "good_cause_required": "Yes, for termination before the end of the franchise term",
      "relationship_covered": "Franchises",
      "notice_period": "notice at least 60 days in advance of the termination",
      "cure_period": "in no event shall be less than 60 days from the date of the notice of noncompliance",
      "statute_citation": "Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code \u00a7 20020",
      "id": "california",
      "url": "https://referencesource.org/franchise-termination-notice-and-good-cause-requirements-by-state/california/",
      "source": "https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC&sectionNum=20020.",
      "source_quote": "Except as otherwise provided by this chapter, no franchisor may terminate a franchise prior to the expiration of its term, except for good cause. Except as provided in Section 20021, good cause shall be limited to the failure of the franchisee to substantially comply with the lawful requirements imposed upon the franchisee by the franchise agreement after being given notice at least 60 days in advance of the termination and a reasonable opportunity, which in no event shall be less than 60 days from the date of the notice of noncompliance, to cure the failure. The period to exercise the right to cure shall not exceed 75 days unless there is a separate agreement between the franchisor and franchisee to extend the time.",
      "verified_fields": [
        "cure_period",
        "notice_period"
      ],
      "derived_fields": [
        "good_cause_required",
        "jurisdiction",
        "relationship_covered",
        "statute_citation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "jurisdiction": "Illinois",
      "good_cause_required": "Yes, for termination before the end of the franchise term",
      "relationship_covered": "Franchises",
      "cure_period": "which in no event need be more than 30 days",
      "statute_citation": "815 ILCS 705/19",
      "id": "illinois",
      "url": "https://referencesource.org/franchise-termination-notice-and-good-cause-requirements-by-state/illinois/",
      "source": "https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/fulltext.asp?DocName=081507050K19",
      "source_quote": "(b) \"Good cause\" shall include, but not be limited to, the failure of the franchisee to comply with any lawful provisions of the franchise or other agreement and to cure such default after being given notice thereof and a reasonable opportunity to cure such default, which in no event need be more than 30 days.",
      "verified_fields": [
        "cure_period"
      ],
      "derived_fields": [
        "good_cause_required",
        "jurisdiction",
        "relationship_covered",
        "statute_citation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "jurisdiction": "Michigan",
      "good_cause_required": "Yes, for termination before the end of the franchise term",
      "relationship_covered": "Franchises",
      "cure_period": "which in no event need be more than 30 days",
      "statute_citation": "Mich. Comp. Laws \u00a7 445.1527(c)",
      "id": "michigan",
      "url": "https://referencesource.org/franchise-termination-notice-and-good-cause-requirements-by-state/michigan/",
      "source": "https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-445-1527",
      "source_quote": "(c) A provision that permits a franchisor to terminate a franchise prior to the expiration of its term except for good cause. Good cause shall include the failure of the franchisee to comply with any lawful provision of the franchise agreement and to cure such failure after being given written notice thereof and a reasonable opportunity, which in no event need be more than 30 days, to cure such failure.",
      "verified_fields": [
        "cure_period"
      ],
      "derived_fields": [
        "good_cause_required",
        "jurisdiction",
        "relationship_covered",
        "statute_citation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "jurisdiction": "Minnesota",
      "good_cause_required": "Yes, for termination or cancellation",
      "relationship_covered": "Franchises",
      "notice_period": "at least 90 days in advance of termination or cancellation",
      "cure_period": "within 60 days of receipt of the notice",
      "statute_citation": "Minn. Stat. \u00a7 80C.14, subd. 3",
      "id": "minnesota",
      "url": "https://referencesource.org/franchise-termination-notice-and-good-cause-requirements-by-state/minnesota/",
      "source": "https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/80C.14",
      "source_quote": "No person may terminate or cancel a franchise unless: (i) that person has given written notice setting forth all the reasons for the termination or cancellation at least 90 days in advance of termination or cancellation, and (ii) the recipient of the notice fails to correct the reasons stated for termination or cancellation in the notice within 60 days of receipt of the notice",
      "verified_fields": [
        "cure_period",
        "notice_period"
      ],
      "derived_fields": [
        "good_cause_required",
        "jurisdiction",
        "relationship_covered",
        "statute_citation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "jurisdiction": "New Jersey",
      "good_cause_required": "Yes, for termination, cancellation or non-renewal",
      "relationship_covered": "Franchises",
      "notice_period": "at least 60 days in advance of such termination, cancellation, or failure to renew",
      "statute_citation": "N.J.S.A. 56:10-5",
      "id": "new-jersey",
      "url": "https://referencesource.org/franchise-termination-notice-and-good-cause-requirements-by-state/new-jersey/",
      "source": "https://law.justia.com/codes/new-jersey/2021/title-56/section-56-10-5/",
      "source_quote": "It shall be a violation of this act for any franchisor directly or indirectly through any officer, agent, or employee to terminate, cancel, or fail to renew a franchise without having first given written notice setting forth all the reasons for such termination, cancellation, or intent not to renew to the franchisee at least 60 days in advance of such termination, cancellation, or failure to renew, except (1) where the alleged grounds are voluntary abandonment by the franchisee of the franchise relationship in which event the aforementioned written notice may be given 15 days in advance of such termination, cancellation, or failure to renew;",
      "verified_fields": [
        "notice_period"
      ],
      "derived_fields": [
        "good_cause_required",
        "jurisdiction",
        "relationship_covered",
        "statute_citation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "jurisdiction": "Wisconsin",
      "good_cause_required": "Yes, for termination, cancellation, non-renewal or a substantial change in competitive circumstances",
      "relationship_covered": "Dealerships, as defined in Wis. Stat. \u00a7 135.02(3)",
      "notice_period": "at least 90 days\u2019 prior written notice",
      "cure_period": "60 days in which to rectify any claimed deficiency",
      "statute_citation": "Wis. Stat. \u00a7\u00a7 135.03 and 135.04 (Wisconsin Fair Dealership Law)",
      "id": "wisconsin",
      "url": "https://referencesource.org/franchise-termination-notice-and-good-cause-requirements-by-state/wisconsin/",
      "source": "https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/135/04",
      "source_quote": "Except as provided in this section, a grantor shall provide a dealer at least 90 days\u2019 prior written notice of termination, cancellation, nonrenewal or substantial change in competitive circumstances. The notice shall state all the reasons for termination, cancellation, nonrenewal or substantial change in competitive circumstances and shall provide that the dealer has 60 days in which to rectify any claimed deficiency. If the deficiency is rectified within 60 days the notice shall be void. The notice provisions of this section shall not apply if the reason for termination, cancellation or nonrenewal is insolvency, the occurrence of an assignment for the benefit of creditors or bankruptcy. If the reason for termination, cancellation, nonrenewal or substantial change in competitive circumstances is nonpayment of sums due under the dealership, the dealer shall be entitled to written notice of such default, and shall have 10 days in which to remedy such default from the date of delivery or posting of such notice.",
      "verified_fields": [
        "cure_period",
        "notice_period"
      ],
      "derived_fields": [
        "good_cause_required",
        "jurisdiction",
        "relationship_covered",
        "statute_citation"
      ]
    }
  ]
}